


our future

by alitaire



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Gen, How to befriend someone with just as many deep rooted trusted issues as you!, I know I tagged this as Claudeleth but it's mostly implied, Just know I'm always thinking of Them, no beta we die like Glenn, some violence but it's very minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27587309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alitaire/pseuds/alitaire
Summary: In the wake of an unexpected arrival in Askr, Claude and Edelgard talk.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	our future

**Author's Note:**

> Forever lamenting that the main game didn't focus more on Claude and Edelgard's dynamic as foils.

He was in the Askr training halls when Lysithea found him, red faced and out of breath.

“C-Claude…. It’s…” she panted.

“What happened Lysi—” The question died on his lips as Lysithea blurted out.

“T-the summoner! They summoned the Professor from our time!”

* * *

“Did you come here to gloat?” Claude drawled as he let another arrow fly and pierce through the chest of the training dummy. Right through the heart. 

“Of course not. That would be unseemly,” Edelgard replied calmly as she watched him unleash three more arrows in quick succession on the target. 

“Well then excuse my rudeness, your majesty, but I’m not in the mood to talk,” Claude said as he walked away and dropped his bow to turn to the weapons rack for something else. Something that could satisfy the burning itch beneath his skin. He blinked in surprise when Edelgard took up two training swords and handed one to him. 

“Shall we spar then?”

Wordlessly, he nodded and took the sword from her. They took positions opposite each other on the sparring ring and began to circle one another. 

Claude knew from their academy years that Edelgard had some skill with the sword, and he could even recall her carrying a blade when they clashed a second time on that awful day at Gronder. But Claude knew he had the advantage of speed and it wasn’t as if he wasn’t skilled with the weapon either. While the bow was his weapon of choice, he had always carried a sword for close range combat and once he had obtained the Sword of Begalta, his proficiency had only improved with training and war. 

She lunged first, a quick jab and then a heavy downswing that he parried. Recognizing he would lose in a contest of strength, he let her blow slide down his blade before he twisted to land a blow to her open flank. She swung at him in retaliation but he quickly danced away with a smirk. The swords are made of wood but that would definitely leave a bruise. 

“What’s wrong, your majesty? I thought you would put up more of a fight,” he grinned. She responded with a grimace before silently adjusting her stance and lunging at him again. 

He jumped back but his mind stuttered. 

_Ah_ , his brain chided him, _Of course. Byleth taught her too._

The same wide aggressive stance that Byleth favored. Wielding the sword in one hand, forfeiting power for speed, not that you could ever tell that Byleth’s— or Edelgard’s— swings were weaker as Claude was forced into a retreat. 

_Even got the footwork down. Teach taught her well._

They danced about the training ground, Claude dodging and Edelgard in aggressive pursuit, her stamina not flagging in her assault. 

Claude had fought alongside Byleth countless times and knew her swordplay almost as well as his own. Despite that, he had never been able to defeat her in a serious duel in the countless training sessions they had together. 

But this wasn’t Byleth.

He let another blow slide down his sword and unfazed, Edelgard followed through to swing again. Instead of parrying, he surged forward, dodging to the side, and attacked. She managed to bring up her sword to block the attack, but his sudden aggression had thrown her off balance and Claude took advantage of her weakened stance, leaning in close to land a heavy kick to her abdomen.

He smirked as they fell apart before it dropped when she bit off her gasp of pain to swing at him again. He barely got his sword up in time to parry for a moment before her force shattered it, landing a blow on his shoulder and showering them both with splinters.

He let out a pained yell as she wheezed, holding her side before they both fell to the ground. For a few seconds, there was only the sound of their pained breathing in the training hall.

“I’m impressed,” she gritted out in between breaths. “I had never known you for such aggression. It threw me off guard.”

“Well that’s all I’ve known you for,” he replied with a groan as he laid down while cradling his shoulder. “Although,” he admitted as he turned his head to glance at her, a small smirk rising at her glower. “I didn’t expect that sort of agility from you.”

“Yes, well,” She huffed. “I learned from the best.”

 _Right, Teach_. “You must be happy to see her here.”

“She isn’t my—“ Edelgard bit off what she was about to say before taking a breath and sighing. “She isn't my teacher. The Byleth that was just summoned here.”

Claude sat up at that, staring at her in surprise. “But Lysithea said she— When she saw you—“ 

“I don’t know what our relationship was in her world but the tears she shed when she saw me were not from joy,” Edelgard said quietly as she pulled herself to her feet, holding her side. “From the moment I saw her, I knew she could not be my teacher.”

“So you came here to commiserate with me?” Claude asked. When she offered him a hand, he raised a brow but accepted it with his good arm with a dry laugh. “I didn’t take you as someone who sulks, your majesty.”

“Nor you,” she shot back as she hefted him to his feet. When he raised his hands in mock surrender, she sighed. “While we had all spoken of what happened to us in our futures, I now realize that we’ve spoken of little else. Not of our friends or,” she met his eyes, “of each other.”

“What do you want me to say, your majesty? You know how war is.” Despite his light tone, they could both hear the lingering bitterness behind his words. Despite that, she pushed. 

“I had initially presumed that the Professor followed a similar role in all our worlds. That was what I gathered the few times Dimitri spoke of her. But when Lysithea spoke with the Professor that was summoned today, I...” she faltered for a moment before staring back up at Claude, her gaze steady. “I realized that that may have been naive.”

He stared back unflinchingly. “What did Lysithea ask her?”

She huffed a laugh, “Cutting right to the heart of it?” When he didn’t respond, she answered, “Lysithea asked her what you called her. A strange question I thought, until I saw that ‘Teach’ wasn’t the response Lysithea was looking for.”

Claude stared at her, a little dumbfounded. “So you came here to sulk and to gossip about Teach?”

A red flush bloomed across her face but she didn’t take bait, staring at him expectedly. 

“Before I answer you, your majesty, let me ask you something.” She raised a brow but nodded slowly. “You said ‘from the moment I saw her’ you knew. What did you mean by that?”

“Exactly as it sounds. I knew from appearance alone she was not my teacher.” When he stared at her skeptically and gestured for her to elaborate, she grumbled out, “Her hair was the wrong color.”

“Her hair isn't green in your world?!” Claude asked, stepping toward her, his eyes shining with burning curiosity. She took a step back, surprised by the sudden excitement outpouring from him. “Did she not fuse with the goddess? Or was it some sort of crest removal? Ah, but then why wouldn't you...” he cut himself off, staring at her curiously. 

“It changed back to its original color after we killed Rhea and won the war,” Edelgard explained. “When we struck Rhea down together... I am not sure what exactly she did to my teacher but Rhea’s grip over her was expelled with her death.”

“That’s strange... Rhea passed away shortly after I returned to Almyra, but Teach’s hair color didn’t change.”

“Rhea died in your world as well?” She asked with wide eyes before letting out a small laugh. “This is what I meant. We truly should have spoken more.”

He scratched his neck, a small smile rising on his face, “You might be right about that. But to answer your question, Rhea died due to complications with your friends slithering in the dark.” 

“Ah.” At their mention, her countenance darkened. “I see.”

A silence fell upon them for a moment until she looked at him expectedly. “Well? I told you about _my_ teacher. Tell me about yours.”

He scratched the back of his neck again, feeling strangely embarrassed, “A deal’s a deal. I um... called her ‘my friend’.”

Edelgard raised a brow. “Is that it? Considering how brazen you are, I thought it would be worse.” At his red faced silence, she continued. “After everything my teacher and I went through, even I would be comfortable calling her—“

“It wasn't after the war,” he grumbled. When she looked at him waiting for him to explain he sighed. “After you declared war on the church, I told her I would always be on her side and be her friend. And I’ve been calling her my friend since.”

“When we were still at the academy?” She gasped. 

“You had just started a war! That was pretty much graduation!” He snapped, face flushing further when she tried to hide a choked laugh behind her hand. 

“That’s,” she chuckled, “That’s surprisingly sweet coming from you.”

“Are you implying that I’m not sweet?” He pouted. “That’s awfully rude, your majesty.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You are many things Claude von Riegan, but sweet is not how I would have ever described you. Although,” she muttered. “I suppose you once brightened many students’ days back in the academy.”

“Is that a compliment? From the Adrestrian emperor herself?” He grinned. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re just flattering me.”

“Well, actually,” she hesitated for a moment but continued at his questioning silence. “I… I wanted to ask for a favor. Can you speak with the Professor with me?”

“I always thought you’re the type to face things head on,” Claude remarked, gently moving his shoulder with a wince. _Thankfully, just some bad bruising._

“I have always been ready to be rejected for the choices that I have made. Even still… her reaction. It makes it difficult,” she admitted. “But while she isn’t from your world, you being there will help. She’s always had a fondness for you, even in my world.”

“Me?” He blinked. “But she taught your class then, right?”

Edelgard nodded. “And despite that, you two spoke on occasion and then you dragged her into dancing at the ball.” A nostalgic smile graced her face. “I remember thinking how shameless you were back then. And now to know about you calling her—”

“I don’t think her finding me charming during our school days means much at this point,” he interrupted, ignoring the warmth rising on his face. “This is a Teach from after the end of the war, right? That’s a long time from those days.”

“She was the reason you were spared during the war.”

Claude stiffened at her statement as her amused smile fell to a solemn line. 

“I believed you were a threat that opposing factions would rally behind. Even more so when you called Almyran reinforcements.”

He didn’t speak, only listening, his eyes watching without judgement.

“But she stood firm and insisted that we could— _should_ spare you. Maybe it was because she knew you could be reasoned with, but I never heard her make such a plea for anyone else.”

Claude exhaled quietly. “She was sad you know. When we fought you. We both tried to talk you down but—”

“But I would never back down,” Edelgard finished.

He nodded.

They both looked at one another, her silent question hanging in the air, before Claude finally sighed. “You’re right, Edelgard,” he said slowly. “There’s a lot we haven’t spoken of that we long should have. But,” he extended his good arm out to her, a small, tired smile lighting his face. “No time like the present right?”

She glanced up at him before cautiously taking his arm. “So you’ll go with me to speak with her as well?”

“All the more reason now that Teach is here with us,” he nodded as they began to walk out of the training hall. “We talked about how being in Askr could bring a new future to our younger selves, but neglected how in being here, we could help each other.”

“There is a lot we can learn from one another,” she agreed, a small smile on her lips. “I look forward to getting to know you better Claude. Or should I call you King Khalid?”

“Just Claude is fine,” he laughed. “And the same to you, Edelgard.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not shown bc I couldn't bother and it wouldn't fit:
> 
>  _When Byleth met King Dimitri, she looked as if she had seen a ghost._  
> 
> 
> >Wanted to write Claudeleth in Askr  
> >Thought about SS!Byleth arriving and angst  
> >Morphs into EdelClaude friendship fic  
> okay
> 
> Don't worry they picked out the splinters and got their injuries checked before they talked to Byleth.
> 
>   
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/Tesereil)


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